It’s not often you hear a local governmental body advertise its high unemployment rate, significant poverty and rate of foreclosures.

That’s just what the Kenosha County Board is poised to do tonight, when it will vote to give “Recovery Zone” designation to the county.

The payoff is the ability to apply for federal stimulus bonding to finance $4.9 million of the $15 million renovation and addition to the Public Safety Building, 1000 55th St.

Through this one-time-only offer, the federal government would refund the county 45 percent of the interest paid on the bond.

The board also is set to act tonight on the sale of $9.65 million of bonds through “Build America,” a similar initiative wherein the federal government would refund the county 35 percent of the interest paid.

That borrowing would finance $8.15 million in capital improvement projects and $3.2 million in previously approved infrastructure improvements to accommodate the Gordon Food Service development near the Kenosha Regional Airport.

Also on the docket is a $20.85 million, traditional non-taxable bond issue to refinance 2001 bonds at a lower rate.

Tonight’s meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the county Administration Building, 1010 56th St.

The board’s Finance Committee approved all of the measures unanimously Monday night, while also signing off on the county’s 2010 budget resolution. A public hearing on the 2010 budget is set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9, with adoption scheduled the following night.

In order to receive the Recovery Zone bonds, the county is required to designate itself as such.

The resolution to be considered tonight notes the area’s 10.5 percent August unemployment rate, more than 3,400 job layoffs in 2008 and 2009, 11 percent poverty rate and 39 percent increase in foreclosure cases over the last year.

Finance Director David Geertsen said the county may not wind up using the stimulus programs when the bonds go to market next month. At that point, based on the interest rates of the day, Geertsen said the county will choose the most cost-effective option, be it the taxable Recovery Zone and Build America bonds or traditional, tax-free notes with no government rebates.

“We’re in a moving-interest-rate environment right now,” said Mike Harrigan, the county’s financial adviser.